Chapter 114: The End Of His Dream


    Al asked me what I was reading, finally noticing the books on the side table. I told him how I was trying to learn as much as I could to be the best Madam Clean Leader possiblee spring.


    He sighed contentedly and leaned his head back against me. "I really don''t deserve you. You''re so amazing."


    My cheeks pinked. The fever must have gotten to him. "Don''t embarrass me! I''m not that great."


    "But you are, Katie! Look what you''ve done already to change this world for the better. I would have sumbed to their n to keep me and my people oppressed. Sigmund would be on the throne stripping away themoners'' rights. Worst of all, I would be stuck in this pce forever with someone who didn''t actually love me.


    "To me you are the stars that light the night sky, the river that brings life to every bit of thend it touches, and all that is good and beautiful. I didn''t think I could possibly love you more than I did when you first became my fiance but each day I love you a little more than I did thest."


    My face waspletely on fire at this point and I abandoned the towel to bury it in my hands. Since when had this goofball been so poetic?!


    Al turned around and began passionately kissing my neck but I was still too embarrassed by his flowery words to show my face. Eventually I got over it and tried to pry him off me. "You''re still sick. What do you think you''re doing?"


    "I told you I''m feeling a bit better," he said between kisses.


    "You also said you wanted to go back to sleep," I pointed out.


    He ignored that. "Later. Let me love you for a minute."


    There was no arguing with him. He had been sick for days; if I was going to catch it I would have already. Despite my blush, I truly had been touched by his words. My heart was overflowing with affection for him so I let him kiss me.


    His version of "a minute" ended up being more like twenty minutes and then he passed out right on top of me. I was trapped in an ufortable position for an indeterminate amount of time and the desire that boiled within me turned to rage. Sick or not, he would pay for thister!


    That traitor didn''t even realize what he did wrong. We had been on the bed already anyway and he crawled under the covers half-asleep before pulling me under with him entirely out of reflex.


    Al had be quite the sleep clinger ever since we got into the habit of cuddling at night. He continued squishing himself closer to me until my annoyance faded away and I was able to fall asleep too.


    His illness didn''t pass for another four days and during that time he remained every bit as needy as before. I started reading in bed so he could curl up with his head in myp.


    They didn''t have noodles here but I got the kitchens to send some sort of soup that had chicken chunks in it. If I was going to do what my mother did when I was sick I may as well go all the way.


    ===


    Catherine did not leave her quarters once the entire time her husband was sick and Charles was seething. What was she doing in there? Taking care of others was beneath the dignity of a princess!


    It made him feel worse than he already did. Sigmund had been in a foul mood ever since court ended even though he pulled petty tricks to make himself feel better. Apparently it hadn''t worked.


    At this point Charles did not even care who was on the throne. All he wanted was to get rid of Alpheus McLeod. Sigmund was his best chance of doing that because he hated his younger brother too.


    They might not be able to convict him for treason but there had to be another way to get rid of such a troublesome pest. Making him disappear entirely would be best but how?


    Wild animals were not exactlymon in this part of the country. That would never be believable. Falling from a cliff into the ocean might work but that would involve luring him out of the pce; he would never follow a known enemy there.


    Whatever Charles did, it had to be without Catherine''s knowledge or she would never forgive him. But what sort of ident could one feasibly conceive for a prince?


    Security had tightened considerably since Franz took over the throne. It was primarily directed at his wife and son but there were more guards milling about in general. Eyes would be everywhere no matter what he tried to do.


    "Honestly, Sigmund. Can you contribute something here?" Charles asked, exasperation tinting his normally t tone.


    He had already thrown out every idea he could think of and hadn''t gotten a response. It was as if he was talking to a brick wall. But a brick wall was more useful than this deposed crown prince.


    Sigmund looked at him nkly. "What do you want me to contribute? You have already listed the reasons why none of those ns will work. I have nothing more to add."


    Charles was tempted to grab him around the throat and shake him around to knock some sense into him. Obviously he was asking for additional ideas, not borating on the ones he already gave!


    "Do you not have a single idea of your own?" he asked through gritted teeth.


    Sigmund looked up at him dully. "Alpheus cannot die. We cannot kill him. None of your ns will ever work."


    Charles couldn''t believe what he was hearing. What sort of nonsense was this now? "What do you mean he cannot die? Everyone is capable of dying. Have you been drinking too much again?"


    With a heavy sigh, he began exining what the queen told him from the beginning. Every word he said was more unbelievable than thest.


    Alpheus was the son of the Kanta n leader who was killed? He had the blessing of mountain spirits and couldn''t die until a sessor was born? He backed Franz to be able to revitalize the n?


    "As you see, Charles, there is nothing we can do about him until his first son is born. Both of my parents have tried to kill him multiple times but that monster cannot die. It is a fruitless endeavor. The only way to hurt him is to hurt what he loves but you aren''t capable of doing that, are you?" Sigmund asked, radiating exhaustion.


    No, he was not. Was this truly the end for his dream of having Catherine for himself? If this ridiculous story was legitimate, Alpheus would not be mortal until a son was born. Who knows how many years that would take?


    Even worse, Catherine would be left with that man''s son. If Charles wanted to marry her, he would have to raise a child that looked exactly the person he hated most. The reminder would eat away at him for the rest of his life.


    This was too unbelievable. He could not ept it until he had seen the truth for himself.